Suspension plasma sprayed (SPS) ceramics for extreme environment

Aero engines manufacturing is a growing industry with an estimated annual production of 228,000 engines by 2030. These aero engines will require surface engineering solutions to protect from wear: unlubricated and lubricated, fretting and abradable conditions. In addition, the aerospace industry is committed to achieving lower emission and environmentally friendly solutions using sustainable materials.

This PhD project will focus on the development of novel ceramic coatings compositions for extreme environments using an emerging Suspension Plasma Spray (SPS) technology: a high power, high efficiency and high velocity three cathode plasma source with axial injection. SPS is a coatings deposition technique where material feedstock is injected in a plasma jet, melted and accelerated towards a substrate where it rapidly solidifies in forming a coating.

The project will involve the deposition of new ultra-high temperature resistant coatings, the development of new methods for spray feedstock treatment, the study of coatings through advanced in-situ microscopy techniques and wear testing under high-temperature (1000 C) conditions. Material characterisation will include in-situ microscopy techniques as high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.